14 DAY TRIAL // Andrei Dumitrescu: This weekend, I plan on reinstalling the original Mass Effect and playing it to something resembling completion. My reason is that I cannot seem to be able to locate a saved game that I can use in Mass Effect 2 when it arrives later in the months and I really want some choices that I have made to be reflected in my experience with the sequel.
For the record: I took out Kaidan because I thought he was too weak for what was to come, I decided to let the Krogan live and even gave him his armor and I decided that the Council was pretty much inadequate for the tough times the galaxy was facing, so I let them perish. I sure do hope that some interesting things will happen in Mass Effect 2. I intend to play with a female character, as the voice work is much better, and I also don't plan on actually doing any of the unnecessary Mako driving.
Florian Totu: My Mass Effect rerun playthrough is coming along just great, and I have to admit that I've missed quite a lot from this game by playing with the Engineer. While a little bit more passive in combat, the Soldier offered me a far more enjoyable experience, as I was given the opportunity to actually fiddle with my equipment, and always keep an eye out for the best loot, instead of just flying by the sear of my pants. Actually enjoying the game also opened a lot of new gameplay experiences, because, since I actually wanted to probe around the universe, I learned a lot of new things and found just as many new side-quests.
But things are at an end even so, and I need to keep my eyes on the future. While January has a few great games in its line-up, including Mass Effect 2, they're still a week or two away. So, while this might be a bad idea, considering just how much RPGs I've been pushing down my throat for the past two months, I think it's about time I took a shot at Torchlight. I've heard nothing but good things about the title, and it looks like it could be a very entertaining experience. The only problem would be that, unlike the Mass Effect that's taunting me to further pursue it, Torchlight isn't yet purchased, and it is not waiting for me at home.